Attachment-plug.



Patented Feb. 25,1902.

0. F. Howzs.

ATTACHMENT PLUG.

0 (Application filed Apr. 28, 1900.?

- (No Model.)

lllhllll NITED STATES PATENT Carton.

CHARLES F. HOWES, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTING COMPANY, OF BOSTON,-MASSACHUSET TS,

A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

I ATTACH M EN T-PLUG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent No. 693,864, dated February 25, 1902.

Application filed April 28, 1900.

To a. whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. Homes, 0 Cambridge,l\/Iiddlesexcounty,Massacl1usetts,' have invented a new and useful Electric Coup-. ler or Attachment-Plug, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to attachment-plugs for facilitating the connection with a flexible cord or other supportcarrying the circuitwires with electrical devices and apparatus, such as incandescent lamps, fans, motors, 850.

My invention consists in a device as a whole and in its parts to be used as a coupler for the purposes aforesaid.

My invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters refer to like parts, and in which- Figure l is an external elevation of my invention, showing the external threaded shell required for use with Edison sockets. Fig. 2 is a section, partially in outline, of my invention, showing the end contact required for use with Thomson-Houston sockets. Fig. 3 is a detail of one member of the plug. Fig. 4 is an interior View of the plug-cover. 1 Fig. 5 is a sectional view of my invention adapted for use with an Edison socket. Fig. 6 is a detail of the other member of the plug to be used with an Edison socket. Fig. 7 is a detail showing the swivel-rod connecting the two members of the plug. Fig. 8 is a sectional view of part of my invention for use with an Edison socket.

Ais a cover, preferably of porcelain or similar insulating material, having a center hole a, through which passes the conductor X, carrying the two circuit-wires wand y, and a lug a, adapted to fit into a notch or groove in 'the upper member of the plug, and a hole for the screw a by which the coveris connected with the member B. (Shown in-Fig. 3.)

B is the upper member of the plug, preferably of porcelain and adapted for use in a plug for either a Thomson-Houston or Edison form of socket. About its diminished portion I) is the conducting rim, ring, or shell I), and with this connects a fiat angle-shaped metal 19 which fits into the shoulder of B at b and is held there by a screw 1. The cir- Serial No. 14,735. (No model.)

cuit-wires 0c and y are led in through the conductor 'X, and the wire m connects by bind- 5, (not shown in Fig. 3,) through the perforated center of B extends a swivel-rod 0, held in place by a nut, preferably a spring-nut c, and

whose lower head 0 forms one of the circuit connectionsimmediately in Fig. 5 and through the screw-rod a passing through ahole in .the cover, to secure the cover A to the memher B.

D is the other member of the plug, and its form is substantially the same whether for use in a plug for the Thomson-Houston or the Edison form of socket, with certain modi- .fications in the circuit connections which will be easily understood. Edison form of socket, this member may have It to be used with the the angle-plate d secured to the under part of the ledge by the screw 3 and a correspondthe screw a passing down to fasten into the member B, as heretofore explained, and it also shows the conductor X and one of the circuit-wires 00 already explained. This section does not show, but it will be understood that as the part D revolves upon the swivelrod 0 the ring or.shell b will be constantly in contact with the inner circuit-spring 61 (shown in Fig. 8,) which connects, through the screw 3, with the metal piece din Fig. 6, thus securing an unbroken circuit. Whichever form of plug be required, it will be seen from Figs. 2 and 5 that the conductorX, having the circuit-wires cc and g and the part B, with its circuit-terminals and screws, as already explained, will not vary, nor will the general form of the member D vary; but the form for the plug with a Thomson-Houston socket will be easily understood from Fig. 2 in comparison with Figs. 5 and 6. In Fig. 2 the parts A and D are shown in dotted lines, and B and its connections are as shown in Fig. 3; but electric connection is made through the rim E instead of through a shell cl, and so instead of the interior spring connected in Fig. 6 through the screw 3 with the part (Z, and so with the external shell d, there is in this form, in connection with the rim E, the extensionscrew 4, entering the ear 5, connected with the rim 6, which has three upright brushes one, e ,(shown in dotted lines,) another, 6 and athird. (Notshown) Theinteriorly-threaded screw 0 will screw over the projection of the Thomson-Houston socket, and the other connection will be made through the rim E, which is held by the catch-piece e in the insulating part of the member D. It will be seen that the memberB (which is, as already explained, connected with the cover A and by means of the circuit-wires with the main conductor or suspensory-cord X) will not revolve owing to the free revolution of the second member D in applying the attachment-plug and that the circuits will always be complete in Fig. 2 between the ring or rim 1) and the three brushes e and e and a third, (not shown,) and it is evident that this rim and these brushes may also be used in place of the circuit connections at 3 and its opposite metal plate (not shown) of Fig. 6 for use with an Edison socket. It is well known that the circuit-making shell d for use with the Edison socket, as shown in Fig. 1, may be exchanged for the external rim E, as shown in Fig. 2, for use with the Thomson-Houston socket. I use the Edison and Thomson-Houston sockets in this specification as types, and it will be plain that my.

invention may, without further aid from me, be easily adapted to other sockets, such as Sawyer-Mann, Westinghouse, and others. In fact, the only difference between my apparatus when adapted to the Thomson-Houston, Edison, or analogous sockets consists merely in the circuit connections. The part c and the brushes may be always used in place of the inner spring, which by the screw 3 is connected with the external spring (1 in Fig. 6; but the member D, if to be used with an Edison socket, will have the screw-threaded shell cl, withwhich the contact will be made,while eeasea.

if it is to be adapted to the Thomson-Houston the parts E e and thebonnecting-screwt with the part 6' will be used, and in the same way with the other varieties of sockets.

The operation of my apparatus is plain from the drawings, as already explained. The conductor X, carrying the circuit-wires w and y, fitting in through the hole in the porcelain cover A, is connected with the member B, as shown in Fig. 3, which fits up tightly into the cover and is held there when the Whole apparatus is in position by means of the screw a The part- B with its circuit connections as shown fits down into the interior of the member D and is held in easy connection by means ofthe screw G whose nut 0 either projects beyond D, as shown in Fig. 5, or is elevated therefrom, as shown in Fig. 2, while the nut 0, preferably a spring-nut, fits over its top and thereby the rod 0 becomes an axle for the revolution of the member D which can be placed in the socket of any desired apparatus in case it be of the Thomson-Houston form by the interiorly-threaded screw 0 or in case it be of the Edison form by means of the external screw-shell d. While the part D is revolving the part B and the coverAand the cord or circuit-conductor X will not revolve. My apparatus as thus generally constructed entirely avoids one of the great difficulties and annoyances in the coupling of such apparatus-namely, the twisting, wear, and early destruction of the conductor X or the breaking of the circuit-wires a; g.

It will be seen that my invention is not limited to precisely the construction which I have shown, since mechanical ingenuity will very easily vary the construction of some of the parts without departing from the essential principle of my invention and without avoiding the use of merely mechanical equivalents, inasmuch as the entire apparatus invented by me may be generally described as consistingin five members-viz.,some variety of conductor for the circuit-wires w and y, a properly-adapted porcelain cover A, one member B of a porcelain plug adapted both to sustain and connect the circuits and to carry also aconducting rim or ring, a second member D of the porcelain plug adapted to maintain its circuit connectionswith those of B, and finally swivel-rod C, which shall perform the function of holding the members A and D together, so as to furnish an axle upon which the part D may revolve and also the function of a conductor of the current, or I may divide these functions by substituting a tube for the axle and use the screw-rod merely as a conductor.

Having described my invention, I do not limit myself to the particular forms shown; but what I desire to protect by Letters Patent and claim is-- Y 1. In an electrical attachment-plug, the combination of the conductor X for the electric wires, the perforated insulating-cover A, the block B havinga slot for a plate 71 and a reduced extension I); the terminals placed upon the block B for the two circuit-wires 0c and y; the conducting ring or rim b, plate b screw 1, electrically connected with one of said circuit-wires; the plate if having binding-screws b and 19 connected with the other circuit-wire; a plate I) perforated to admit a swivel-rod and to receive a screw (1 and held by the screw 19*; a swiveling block D adapted to encircle the smaller part b of the block B and having circuit connections to constantly maintain an electric continuity of circuit with ring or shell I); a swivel-rod for connecting the parts B and D and to form part of the electric circuit and electric terminals for connecting externally with the terminals of the structure to which the same is to be connected; all substantially as described.

2. In an electric coupler, in combination with arevolving member, the metal skeleton piece composed of a rim E on the bottom of the revolving member, the connecting-screw 4,2. metal rim e having ear5 to be connected with screw 4, and metal brushes struck up fromthe rim 6'; substantially as described and shown.

3. In an electric fcoupler, in combination with the circuit-wires and a proper cover, a swivel=rod, aninsulating-block B formed with a diminished projection and having a portion cut away to receive a plate, electric connecting-plates provided with proper bindingscrews, a central plate in the cut-away portion of the plug perforated as described and having a binding-screw, and a metallic conmeeting-piece upon the small portion ofthe plug B connected with the circuit; substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand this 26th day of April, 1900.

CHAS. F. HOWES.

In presence of-- FRED. O. CHAMBERLIN. Enw. P. PAYSON. 

